Chicago Fire Head Coach Denis Hamlett was at the Midtown Center for Boys Monday to speak to more than 100 7th and 8th graders who participate in the Midtown Center for Boys' summer program, the Midtown Achievement Program, which provides summer academic assistance and promotes character education for Chicagoland youth.
Hamlett was greeted and introduced to the program's participants by John Heybach, Director of the Midtown Center for Boys and Bob Barder, Associate Director of the Midtown Center for Boys. Hamlett spoke to these 7th and 8th graders on the playground outside the Center, and his talk was followed by a question and answer session. Hamlett is familiar with the Center after having been a speaker last summer, and he spoke this year about the importance of good sportsmanship and perseverance in athletics.
For the past 45 summers, the Midtown Center for Boys has been a place for inner-city youth to not only receive academic assistance during the summer months, but also hear motivating words from various speakers, including Hamlett. Last summer, the Center's list of speakers included players from the Chicago Bears as well as several corporate executives and college advisors. The fact that Hamlett is a coach makes him a role model for the kids, and therefore, an ideal spokesperson for the Center.
"Through academic and athletic excellence, parent involvement and an emphasis on learning and practicing virtue, our focus at Midtown is to build young men of character. Therefore, it is very important for the boys in our summer program to hear stories like those of Coach Hamlett, that exemplify Midtown's approach, so they can see how people set goals, work hard to overcome obstacles and achieve success in life. It is also a lot of fun for the boys to interact with a sports celebrity, especially one as generous as Coach Hamlett," said John Heybach, Director of the Midtown Center for Boys.
The Midtown Center for Boys and the Chicago Fire Foundation has a close relationship, working together since 2004. In that time, the Chicago Fire Foundation has donated over $45,000 to the Center. For more information on the Midtown Center for Boys and on its sister program, the Metro Achievement Center for Girls, visit http://www.midtown-metro.org/.
ABOUT CHICAGO FIRE SOCCER
Chicago Fire Soccer was founded on October 8, 1997 as a Major League Soccer expansion team. The Fire won the MLS Cup in its inaugural season in 1998 and was crowned the champion of U.S. Soccer's national tournament, the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, in 1998, 2000, 2003 and 2006. In June 2006, the Fire moved into its world-class home of TOYOTA PARK, located in Bridgeview, IL.
ABOUT TOYOTA PARK
Located 15 minutes from downtown Chicago and minutes from Midway airport off of I-55 on Harlem Avenue, TOYOTA PARK is the Midwest's preeminent outdoor live entertainment and sporting facility. Opened in 2006, TOYOTA PARK not only serves as the home of the Chicago Fire, but also hosts a variety of sporting events, special events and concerts by national and international artists. In 2009, artists ranging from Jimmy Buffett to Phish will perform live at TOYOTA PARK.
